Hacker Con Badges

Gothcon 2026 · United States · 2026

Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge

Pre-event ESP32-C3 bat-shaped LED party-fundraiser badge

Gothcon's official badge store describes a custom bat-shaped PCB LED badge for the free Gothcon dance party at DEF CON 34. The $80 fundraiser package names 44 independently controlled RGB LEDs, a 2,000 mAh Li-Po battery, USB-C recharging with overcharge protection, a removable laser-etched acrylic shield, a custom lanyard, and an ESP32-C3 with 4 MB flash. The public `claviger/gothcon-firmware` repository adds MicroPython firmware, KiCad schematic/PCB/Gerber material, GPIO mapping, pattern/palette controls, and ESP-NOW badge-to-badge contagion. The store explicitly says its SAO connectors are mirrored and not functional with a standard SAO. Pre-orders are closed and the store says badges will be sold at DEF CON; this remains a pre-event party-fundraiser record, not proof of final sales, delivery, party outcome, or official DEF CON credential status.

Gothcon DEF CON 34 United States Las Vegas BadgeLife Pre-event ESP32-C3 MicroPython WS2812B ESP-NOW LiPo USB-C SAO Party Fundraiser Independent Badge North America
EventGothcon 2026
SeriesGothcon
LocationDEF CON 34, Las Vegas, Nevada
CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

party-fundraiser badge publisher

Gothcon Badge Store

The official store publishes the Gothcon 2026 badge and describes the party/fundraiser context; it does not name individual design, firmware, or artwork contributors.

Source

public firmware and hardware repository publisher

claviger

GitHub account publishing the Gothcon 2026 firmware, flashing tooling, KiCad/hardware tree, and documentation; the reviewed sources do not identify a fuller name or explicit software/hardware license.

Source

Why It Mattered

It documents a technically rich current party badge as its own Gothcon event rather than collapsing it into the official DEF CON badge or treating a fundraiser as admission. The record combines the party's direct commerce terms with a public firmware and hardware tree, while clearly retaining the unusual mirrored-SAO limitation, no-license boundary, battery/charging documentation limits, and absence of rights-cleared imagery.

Hardware

The official store calls it a custom PCB LED bat badge with 44 independently controlled RGB LEDs, a 2,000 mAh Li-Po battery, USB-C recharging with claimed overcharge protection, a removable laser-etched acrylic Gothcon-logo shield, custom lanyard, ESP32-C3, and 4 MB flash. The public repository maps the 44 WS2812B LEDs to IO10 (with bat eyes at indices 28 and 30), directional buttons to IO4/IO3/IO0/IO2, and separate BOOT/RESET flashing controls. Its `hardware/` tree includes KiCad project, schematic, PCB, Gerbers, and production material. The store says the intended SAO connectors are wired mirrored and therefore are not functional with a standard SAO. Neither source supplies electrical test data, board dimensions, battery cell/charger settings, current limits, certification, or a safe-modification guide.

Software & Apps

The public repository provides MicroPython source, a cross-platform `flash.py` workflow using esptool and mpremote, a pinned/downloadable ESP32-C3 MicroPython firmware path, host-side unit tests, and GPIO/button/LED documentation. It describes pattern and palette selection plus ESP-NOW contagion: a Down-button press broadcasts a pattern/palette and nearby badges may re-broadcast up to roughly three hops, with rate limits and a five-second Down hold to disable wireless until reset or power cycle. The repository exposes no LICENSE file, and the product-store statement that Wi-Fi and BLE are not used in default firmware is kept distinct from the source's ESP-NOW behavior.

Lore

The official store describes Gothcon as a goth-themed DEF CON 34 dance party on Saturday, August 8. It says the party is free, receives no funding from DEF CON or other sources beyond the badge fundraiser, and that owning the badge is not required to attend—though a DEF CON badge is needed to enter the convention grounds. The storefront says pre-orders are closed, planned remaining badges will be sold at DEF CON for the same $80 price, and pre-order packages shipped unassembled with a claimed under-five-minute no-skills assembly process. These are organizer-published terms, not evidence that every badge has been built, sold, delivered, or used at the party.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

badge-to-badge interaction public firmware documentation

ESP-NOW pattern contagion and wireless opt-out

The README says Down broadcasts the current pattern/palette over ESP-NOW, with nearby badges cascading up to about three hops and rate/interaction safeguards. A five-second Down hold disables wireless until reset or power cycle; no BLE protocol is claimed for the default application.

Compatibility: Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge

Source
firmware and maintenance public repository documentation

MicroPython application and flash/deploy workflow

The repository provides MicroPython application source, `flash.py`, esptool/mpremote prerequisites, separate firmware and application deployment paths, and host-side unit tests. The visible repository root has no explicit license and no tagged release is asserted here.

Compatibility: Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge

Source
hardware compatibility limitation official-store-documented

Mirrored non-standard SAO connector limitation

The official store says the board's intended SAO connectors are wired mirrored and are not functional with a standard SAO, with no time to correct the layout before the convention. This is a source-specific compatibility limitation, not a generalized claim about all Gothcon or DEF CON hardware.

Compatibility: Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge

Source
hardware interface public repository documentation

ESP32-C3 GPIO control surface

The public firmware maps 44 WS2812B LEDs to IO10, directional buttons to IO4/IO3/IO0/IO2, and identifies separate BOOT and RESET flashing controls. The store names ESP32-C3 with 4 MB flash; the repo does not establish every production-board part or measurement.

Compatibility: Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge

Source
physical badge package official-store-documented

Bat PCB, 44 RGB LEDs, acrylic shield, and lanyard

Gothcon's store describes a bat-shaped custom PCB with 44 independently controlled RGB LEDs, removable laser-etched acrylic logo shield, custom DEF CON 34-color lanyard, and a pre-order package containing the PCB, shield, screws/nuts, lanyard, 2,000 mAh LiPo, and mounting tape.

Compatibility: Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

battery, charging, and modification safety boundary note

The store names a 2,000 mAh LiPo and USB-C recharging with overcharge protection, while the source tree supplies firmware and board files. Neither reviewed source publishes battery cell identity, charge settings, thermal/current measurements, fault behavior, battery replacement procedure, safety certification, or a safe-modification guide.

The record does not transform source component claims into an electrical-safety endorsement, battery-service procedure, or sanctioned repair/modification instruction.

Confidence
primary organizer store and public repository
Status
needs operating and safety documentation
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
Gothcon Badge Store listing and gothcon-firmware repository.
mirrored SAO connector incompatibility warning

Gothcon's official store says the intended SAO connectors are wired mirrored from the expected orientation and are not functional with a standard SAO, with no pre-con fix planned.

Users should not infer standard-SAO compatibility or attempt undocumented rewiring/modification from the badge's intended connector footprint.

Confidence
primary organizer store
Status
documented pre-event limitation
Timeframe
Gothcon 2026
Source note
Gothcon 2026 Badge Store feature list.
missing rights-cleared image note

No Gothcon 2026 badge image is published because the Shopify store, GitHub README, and linked Imgur media do not pair a specific image with a reusable license or explicit permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.

The pre-event record remains source-backed and image-free instead of copying store photos, repository embeds, Imgur media, screenshots, placeholders, or generated approximations.

Confidence
local project policy
Status
needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
badge.gallery image policy and reviewed Gothcon store/repository sources.
pre-event party, sale, and fulfillment boundary note

The store says pre-orders are closed and badges will be sold at DEF CON, while describing the party as free and the badge as optional. Gothcon and DEF CON 34 have not yet occurred at this source pass, so the listing does not confirm final build count, DEF CON sale availability, delivery, party attendance, or fundraiser outcome.

The catalogue records organizer-published plans without converting them into proof of manufacture, sales, party results, or beneficiary accounting.

Confidence
primary organizer store
Status
awaiting Gothcon 2026 outcome
Timeframe
pre-event as of 2026-08-03
Source note
Gothcon 2026 Badge Store listing.
repository license and final-release boundary note

The public repository contains source, KiCad, Gerber, and documentation material but the reviewed root has no explicit LICENSE file and no tagged final release was identified. Public visibility alone does not establish rights to reuse code, hardware, documents, embedded images, or final production firmware.

The catalogue can link the technical trail without representing it as licensed open hardware, free software, a released production artifact, or a valid source of reusable images.

Confidence
public repository review
Status
needs explicit license and release terms
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
claviger/gothcon-firmware repository root and hardware tree.
wireless behavior and default-firmware scope note

The repository documents ESP-NOW pattern contagion and a user opt-out, while the store says Wi-Fi and BLE are not used in default firmware. The sources do not publish a production firmware hash, final RF configuration, range/interference testing, regulatory documentation, or a Bluetooth interaction protocol.

The record describes public ESP-NOW application behavior without claiming final radio performance, BLE functionality, a production firmware identity, or certification.

Confidence
public repository and organizer store
Status
documented with scope boundary
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
Gothcon 2026 Badge README and official store listing.

Resources

Gothcon 2026 Badge README firmware and operating guide · Primary repository documentation for the ESP32-C3, 44 WS2812B LEDs, GPIO map, pattern/palette control, ESP-NOW contagion behavior/opt-out, MicroPython runtime, host tool prerequisites, and firmware/application flash/deploy workflows. Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge official badge store · Official Gothcon Badge Store listing for the $80 Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge, party-fundraiser relationship, free-party/non-ticket boundary, pre-order/DEF CON sales terms, published hardware/package contents, ESP32-C3/4 MB statement, mirrored-SAO limitation, and no reusable-image permission. Gothcon 2026 hardware tree hardware design files · Public repository tree containing KiCad project, PCB, schematic, Gerbers, and production folders. No explicit repository license was identified, and no repository image is reused locally. claviger/gothcon-firmware firmware and hardware repository · Public source repository for the Gothcon 2026 badge firmware, flashing tooling, tests, and hardware directories. The visible repository root has no LICENSE file, so public access is not treated as a reuse license for code, hardware, documentation, or images.

Sources

GitHub / claviger: Gothcon 2026 Badge README Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary firmware and operating source for the 44-LED/ESP32-C3/GPIO mapping, patterns, palettes, ESP-NOW contagion behavior and opt-out, MicroPython runtime, flashing/deployment, tests, and host tooling. Embedded Imgur media is evidence only and lacks a reusable-image license or permission basis. GitHub / claviger: claviger/gothcon-firmware hardware tree Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary public archive source proving a KiCad project, schematic, PCB, Gerbers, and production folders. The reviewed repository root has no explicit LICENSE file, so it does not establish reuse rights or a final manufactured-board configuration. Gothcon Badge Store: Gothcon 2026 Blinky Badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary organizer storefront source for the Gothcon party setting and August 8 date, $80 fundraiser/non-ticket terms, pre-order closure and DEF CON sale statement, custom bat-PCB/44-LED/LiPo/USB-C/acrylic/lanyard/ESP32-C3 hardware claims, package contents, and mirrored-SAO limitation. It does not grant reusable image permission or prove final sales, delivery, or electrical safety.